An orphaned kitten’s rescue from Valley Center has been dubbed a Christmas miracle by the Helen Woodward Animal Center staff that saved her, officials said this week.
The kitten, named Evergreen, was first spotted by workers at a Christmas tree lot roaming the grounds alongside her mother and siblings last month, said Jessica Gercke, a spokesperson for the nonprofit animal center in Rancho Santa Fe.
The workers said for weeks they tried to trap the animals because of the looming threat of nearby coyotes, Gercke said.
Toward the end of November, their fears were realized.
“Tragically, late one evening, staff members reported hearing the coyotes and the cries of the family,” Gercke said.
However, the story of the cat family was not over.
As luck would have it, on Nov. 29, while the animal center’s veterinary director, Dr. Alexis Siler, happened to be at the lot with her son and daughter buying a Christmas tree, one of the lot’s staff members found a mewing miracle — a petite orphaned kitten — hiding in the lowest branches of their tree.
Siler immediately went into veterinarian mode, noting the kitten was malnourished from internal parasites and in need of help, Gercke said.
The veterinarian alerted staff at the Helen Woodward Center, who came to the kitten’s rescue. Evergreen, named for the tree she was found hiding in, was taken to the center for medical exams and treatment to receive the necessary fluids and food to bring her back to health.
“The tiny feline’s survival is something of a Christmas miracle,” Gercke said. “Evergreen will have a beautiful ending to this heartwarming, holiday story.”
Since making her initial recovery, Evergreen has been placed in a foster family’s home while she awaits adoption, Gercke said.
“She has quickly learned to play, cuddle and become the happiest of kittens,” Gercke said. “She is just over eight weeks old but is spending a bit of extra time under the center’s care as she gets up to her proper weight and continues to receive all needed treatment.”
The center’s staff said Evergreen will be available for adoption in the new year.
Those wishing to learn more about Evergreen can visit animalcenter.org or call the center’s adoption department at 858-756-4117, ext. 1.
